An Arik Air flight travelling from Lagos to Port Harcourt was forced to divert to Benin airport on Wednesday after the crew reported hearing a loud bang from the aircraft’s left engine mid-flight.
Gatekeepers News reports that the airline, in a statement, said the Boeing 737-700 aircraft, operating as flight W3-740 with registration number 5N-MJF, was on its final descent into the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, when the unusual engine sound was detected. As a precautionary step, the pilots redirected the aircraft to Benin Airport to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.
Arik Air confirmed that all 80 passengers on board disembarked safely, with no injuries recorded. The airline said arrangements were immediately made to convey the affected passengers to their intended destination.
“There were no injuries to passengers and crew as all 80 passengers on board were safely disembarked. Arrangements have been made to transport the affected passengers to their final destination,” the airline said.
“We sincerely apologise to the affected Port Harcourt passengers whose journey has been disrupted. The safety and wellbeing of passengers is always our priority at Arik Air.”
Meanwhile, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced a formal investigation into the incident, which it described as an in-flight engine anomaly.
Bimbo Oladeji, director of public affairs and family assistance at the bureau, said the flight crew observed abnormal engine readings and carried out a precautionary shutdown of the affected engine in line with safety procedures before diverting to Benin.
“The aircraft landed without incident, and all passengers and crew disembarked normally. No injuries have been reported,” Oladeji said.
She added that a preliminary inspection at the diversion airport showed visible damage to the affected engine. According to her, an assessment team has been deployed to Benin to secure the aircraft, collect evidence, interview crew members and witnesses, and retrieve the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.
Oladeji said the investigation is being conducted in line with international aviation standards and Nigerian civil aviation regulations, in collaboration with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Arik Air, and other relevant stakeholders.
She added that a preliminary report would be released within 30 days, while a final report would be issued after the investigation is concluded, urging members of the public with useful information to contact the bureau through official channels.
